The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-06-25
THE OLD KICKER.
Packs Sun.

The passengers Tn the streSt-CdT saw the old kicker standing on the corner, half block ahead, and the grocery drummer said, 'Now, when the old man begins to talk, you all pretend to be deaf and dumb, and nobody must answer him but me-" They all agreed, and the car stopped, and his nibs came in and began to tumble in his pockets for his fare.
 Il yum, if haven't left my pocket book at home," said he as he dropped his cane and run both hands down into his trowsers' pockets Awkward predicament, ain't it?" he continued, as he looked at the insurance agent, with forced smile, sort of a ghastly grin, such as man always exhibits when he wants to seem unusually happy.
 The insurance man looked out of the window and yawned, but made no answer.
 'T swan, I never did such thing before," said the old kicker, as he run his fingers into his vest pockets, and brought them out empty. "I guess I'll have to borrow nickle of one of you gentlemen," said he, punching the board of trade man on the shoulder with his thumb. "I'll hand it to you, 1 assure you"
 The board of trade man yawned and put his hand up to his ear as much as to say he did not hear.
 "I say, just lend me nickle," he yelled, loud enough to frighten the mules. Left my money at home, you know"
 The board of trade man shook his head and looked out of the window at some men digging a sewer.
 The old kicker blushed and sat down and took out snuff-box, and filled his nose full, and handed the box to dressmaker who sat opposite him. She smiled and shook her head, and tried to look deaf and dumb. The old kicker put up his box, and as the driver rapped on the window and mo- toned to him to pay his fare, he turned to the floor walker, who sat next to the dressmaker, and asked him for the loan of nickle, but the floor walker began to make motions with his fingers like deaf and dumb per son, which caused all the passengers to laugh, and then they all made mo- tions, and pretended to be talking to each other. The old kicker did not know what to make of it. He knew the drummer was not deaf and dumb, and so he got up and walked to the other end of the GET where the drum mer was, and sat down by him and said:
 Beats all how many people there are deaf nowadays. 1 think it is caused by listening at the telephone. There is no nuisance that has been sprung on unsuspecting people, late years, so great as the telephone. Every time try to talk through telephone get mad and swear will have it taken out of the house. Last night rung about dozen times be- fore could make an echo. When the girl said 'hello,' asked her where the devil she had been all day. and she was impudent to me. She asked me what in the world wanted, and what ailed me, and 1 went off to give her a piece of my mind, when she cut me OA dlfu lclt HiC tulhiIIS iHtO tiAC hoiO'
 Pay your fare, please, old gentle man with the smut on the nose," said the driver, as he put his head in the door.
 "All right. Just a minute," said the old kicker as he noticed a tele- phone girl opposite him, blushing and looking mad. "I meant nothing per- sonal, miss, when I spoke of taking the girl across my knee.'
 70, you wretchw said the girl, turning around and looking out of the window"
 70, thought she was deaf and dumb. She was talking with her fin- gers few minutes ago. l ay," he said to the drummer, confidentially. "Lend me a nickel till I see you again"
 "What do you take me for?" said the drummer, as he put on an injured air. Do I look like fresh person from the country, that can be taken in by every dead beat that is trying to beat his way through the world? l have heard of you before. You travel on what you can borrow. If lend you a nickel you will go of and brag about how you bilked a countryman. No, sir, I have had that tried on me hundred times, but seldom for SO small sum as a nickel. They ought to protect passengers on these cars from